BARRE — A Graniteville man is accused of groping a 12-year-old girl in 2010.

Jeffrey C. Manning, 54, pleaded not guilty to felony lewd and lascivious conduct in Washington County criminal court Thursday. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $300 fine.

According to the police affidavit, police were told by the Department for Children and Families in March that a man named Jeff had put his hand down a girl’s shirt and groped her while she was at his home on Ayers Street.

When interviewed by police, the girl said Jeff was her mother’s boyfriend’s ex-wife’s mom’s ex-husband, according to the affidavit. Police said they then discovered that “Jeff” was Manning. The girl told police she pretended to be asleep during the incident.

When Manning talked to police, they said, he admitted touching the girl’s breast “for some reason.” Manning told police he groped the girl for around 30 seconds, according to records.